National Geographic named environmental activist and drag queen Wyn Wylie — who performs under the name “Pattie Gonia” and — as one of its nine “Travelers of the Year.”
Pattie Gonia is a self-described “intersectional environmentalist, drag queen, and advocate for inclusivity in the outdoors” who works to “uplift LGBTQIA+ people and other underrepresented groups in the outdoors.” The Oregon-based performer has over 600,000 followers on social media.
‘Hi, it’s me, Pattie Gonia, a real-life homosexual,” the activist says in a video for the 2023 North Face “Summer of Pride” campaign. “We are here to invite you to come out… in nature with us!”
Pattie Gonna co-founded The Outdoorist Oath, a non-profit which promotes an “action-based commitment for planet, inclusion, and adventure.” The organization asks members to take an oath, which includes acknowledging climate change, committing to advocacy for environmental justice, and recognizing “that systemic oppression is real and that hatred, discrimination, and biases marginalize people.”
Outdoorist Oath seeks to promote inclusivity and raises awareness about conduct like “microaggressions in the outdoors.” The organization hosts activism workshops called “Stretch Sessions,” including sessions on white supremacy.
“This Stretch Session will challenge your perspective and make you think critically about the role White Supremacy plays into your experience in the outdoors, whether you’re white or BIPOC,” reads the announcement for a workshop on white supremacy. “Confronting our white supremacy will never be easy, but it is a necessary step in creating a more inclusive and equitable outdoors. So we wanted to provide a short introduction into some of the concepts that will be likely used and discussed during this session.”
In advance of the workshop on white supremacy, Outdoorist Oath issued guidance on improving “racial literacy.”
“The concept of ‘race’ was created through pseudo-science to justify the displacement and exploitation of peoples globally,” reads the website. “Today, we know race isn’t real in biological terms, but it is very real in terms of cultural and social terms.”
In 2024, Outdoorist Oath issued a statement in support of Palestine and called for a cease-fire.
“The work we do at Outdoorist Oath would not be needed if it weren’t for the long lasting and ongoing negative effects of colonization and imperialism,” reads the statement. “We cannot look beyond our borders without the understanding that we are all interconnected. The struggles for the liberation of our planet and its people, are one in the same.”
Pattie Gonia collaborated with cellist Yo-Yo Ma and “Indigenous trans musician” Quinn Christopherson for “Won’t Give Up,” a song which the artists hoped would become an anthem for climate activism.
“There’s a lot of potential for this song to be sung at climate rallies, to be sung as a part of the climate movement,” said Pattie Gonia in an interview with NPR. “But also for the song to be what it needs to be and mean what it needs to mean to other people, no matter who they are. If a person hears it and thinks that it’s not about climate but that it’s about racial justice or that it’s about queer rights, that’s beautiful. Take it, go for it.”
The Walt Disney Company has held majority ownership of National Geographic Partners, LLC since 2019.